Not That Budget!

I'm tired, I'm fairly stressed, and even worse I'm still waiting! Don't ask why I'm waiting, just read some recent posts, and you'll get the general idea. Almost 4 years of hard work, and it will all boil down to one hour of observation. I could handle the observation part, if I knew when to expect it, but I don't, and it's virtually impossible to be fully prepared for any random time. I'm actually at the stage of not caring when it happens, as long as it's soon, because the waiting is intolerable. It's like waiting for the hang-man, or a last minute reprieve. Either one might arrive first.

There's a hell of a lot of roadworks going on around here at the moment. They've got half the bloody town dug up. Not only are they laying broadband cables, the Gas have been digging up seemingly arbitrary areas since October, and pretty soon traffic calming measures will be started. Mind you, March always was a busy time on the roads, what with budgets having to be used up. Yes, that's right! If you don't know it, this is how it works; departments, such as Roads, get a budget for the ensuing financial year. At the end of the year, if they've used all of their budget, then they get an increased budget for next year. However, if they haven't spent all of the budget, it will get slashed for the following year. That's why the road gritters are out on beautiful days spraying salt everywhere. They have to use it all up before the end of the financial year.

It's amazing isn't it! That's why the local authorities are so hard-pressed financially. Every department is competing for cash, and in ordeer to secure that cash, they have to fritter away the cash they have. It's a peculiar system, and one which clearly doesn't work. Probably needs a total overhaul form top to bottom!

Judgement Day Looms!

This is about a mile along the coast from my house! At the location from which this photo was taken, there are rocks where seals commonly bask right on the shoreline. Yeah that is great isn't it? Isn't nature a wonderful thing? Except when it gets in the way of progress of course! That was, of course, a joke! Animals don't cause pollution (except for cows, and they're not doing it deliberately), man is to blame. Are we the dirtiest animal on the planet? I don't think anyone could dispute it?

As I said last week, I've been doing my bit to forward the green cause, and on Thursday I will be rewarding the efforts of those who carried the cause further, at my behest. I am of course, once again, being enigmatic. There's good reason for that, to protect the innocent, which would be those minions of mine, and of course so as not to draw too much attention to myself. I don't really like attention. People who like attention tend to be attention-seekers, and that's not me.

My big day is till to come unfortunately. I have been kept waiting for it. It should be before the end of this week and that suits me fine, my patience is wearing thin, and my high stress levels persist. I have invested so much time and effort, and it all comes down to this one occasion. It has to go smoothly, or else... well, I can't even go there. I'm sure it will be fine. If only it was just down to me, but there are about 20 other individuals who can tilt the blance in my favour, or in the opposite direction. Being reliant on others is never a good thing!

Pay To Play!

Here's the poster for the long-awaited Indiana Jones film (20 years), and oddly enough Harrison Ford looks the same as he did in the last one, although he was complaining about old age and infirmity for most of "The Last Crusade". I wish Connery was reprising his role as Indy's dad, wasn't that a great acting combo? That's a rhetorical question, the answer being "yes" obviously!

Am I right in thinking that Connery was invited to partake, but stuck firmly to his "I've given up acting" guns? Well, he's made a hell of a lot of films, and nobody will ever beat his 007, not ever! He does come back here to Scotland occassionally to stick his beak in, but he'd never come back here to live, the taxes would annihilate him.

Hey hey, just found my M.O.T. certificate and I've a week longer than I thought, which is handy because I wasn't going to have anytime to look at it, but now I will have, because I'm on holiday those extra days. Alternatively, I might do things the easier way and purchase some old banger with a years M.O.T. on it. Then buy myself something decent next year when I actually get paid for working, as opposed to having to pay to work. Yes, I do pay for the privilege of working, it sounds ridiculous, but I have petrol and lunch to pay for everyday, out of my own pocket, and occassionally materials as well, and instead of payment I get scutiny. Is it hard going financially? Absolutely!

Today I Have Mostly....

Today I went up the Balloch Hill.

The Balloch is near Keith.

This is Keith.

Order, Order!

What is it with politicians? It used to be an old boys club, but now it's just a self-service cash buffet! That House of Lords is no better. While setting our taxes, it seems that most of them have been doing everything possible to avoid paying themselves. Setting up huge nest-eggs in Lichtenstein. Why? Because they're rich obviously, and that's how they intend to stay. It's only a few weeks past that it came to light that UK politicians were claiming all sorts of ridiculous expenses, most of them fabricated, and that just to be safe, they'd destroyed all the associated paperwork. Even better still, on the orders of the man investigating abuse of expenses and who had been exposed doing just that himself. No wonder the MP's were all cheering him when he returned to the Houses of Parliament. He'd done them all a massive favour.

It's not like the old days, when the principal objective was to gain the favour of the King, incriminate your enemies in plots and thus acquire their land and titles for yourself. That sort of treachery was practically admirable, and certainly had to be practiced to perfection by the highest ranking nobles in the land.

The latest bee in my bonnet, and it's been there for a while, is the other recent ongoing betrayal of the nation by our politicians. The decision whether to allow us a referendum on the EU Constitution, now the EU treaty, but almost identical in all ways. Except Gordon Brown merits the change of name enough to deny us the referendum we were promised and on the back of which Labour were re-elected. They lied and they don't care. They rubbed it in our faces by denying us a vote on the issue. The only possible outcome is that we will become a vassal to Germany and France. Why would our government want that? I know why, and I told you almost a year ago. Nothing's changed. Blair and Brown cut a deal, it's so obvious, Brown for PM, Blair for Euro-President. That's why it's essential that Brown blocks a referendum at all costs, he promised Tony, who guaranteed it to the Euro-parliament in return for the supreme leadership. Despicable!

Souls of Black!

If I say I've done my bit for the environment this week, then you should just accept that, and carry on as before. I can't tell you what it was that I did, that might just make a difference in some small way, but suffice it to say that I stung others into action, which is of course better than having to physically do anything dirty myself! I simply laid down the gauntlet, and others picked it up.

I don't think it'll save the planet or anything, but at least it will raise awareness, and while I have been a bit scathing about climate change and so on, in the past, this isn't to do with climate change. It's more to do with what a filthy species we are. Is that suitably cryptic for you? It is for me, I think I've confused myself!

I concede that I have bigger concerns right now than the future of the planet, and maybe that's selfish. But, hey, there's a few billion others who spend as much time dwelling on the subject as I do! If the planet's already destroyed, if mankind has already pushed the planet to the brink, then I along with the rest of you will face the consequences. It's as simple as that. No one person can make a difference, I said that before, and it's true. We can however, by our actions, feel as though we're doing something worthwhile, and that in itself is useful, if for no other reason than to have an excuse to fall back upon when a blame culture develops. I looked into your soul and this is what I saw!

A Pox Upon You!

My voice seems to be going again. I've had a sore throat since lunch, and I'll be right fed-up if I get ill again. I don't want this blog to sound like a forum for me to moan about my poor health, but it's difficult to think of anything else when you're not feeling too hot. Last week was inconvenient, and I really don't think I can afford to get ill again so soon, especially with, as I said before, an important observation due any day now.

I'm determined to fight it this time, no wait, I was determined last time, and look where that got me. I would take precautions, but I've tried that as well, and it seems, if you're in the company of germ-ridden people, then your chances of not catching their bugs are slim indeed!

Nevermind, it's almost the weekend again, and I'm hoping to get out on the hills, come what may. I do have a hill in mind, the sister peak of a hill I've already been up. No names, It's too soon. It should be a good walk though, everything going to plan, which it seldom does. I'll let you know either way, otherwise you'd be left pondering my situation. Can't have that!

Waiting For Judgement Day!

Ah, I'm working hard just now, like 8am till 9pm pretty much. It's a long day, but my perseverance should soon be rewarded. If that's too cryptic for you, it's called teacher training, and I have a crucial observation coming up. Pass this and the hardest part will be over. It's essential that I pass, but I won't be judged solely on my teaching, but also on 2 portfolios which I have to update and maintain daily. The portfolios must meet very strict criteria, unfortunate, but I don't make the rules, or break them come to think of it. I simply do what I have to to make it through, and at the moment that means working my butt off!

This observation could come as soon as tomorrow, which might be a relief to be honest, but it might be another 2 weeks yet. It's like waiting for the executioner, but hopefully with a less grisly ending. I missed my post yesterday, simply because I was maxed out, and today's as bad, but I'm slightly more recovered from my cold. I'd say I'm nearer 90% now, which is a vast improvement form the weekend, that's for sure.

So, I haven't been to a wedding for years, but it looks like I might finally be going to one in August, and no plain affair either. I suspect it's going to be very lavish and possibly even over the top, but we'll just have to wait and see.

Vitamin Sea!

I'm still slightly under the weather, much improved, but probably still at about 60% I would say. That's why I'm stocking up on vitamins, I just had a tangerine, a multivitamin drink and a vitamin pill. What do you think of the comic strip above? I think it's great, someone has a real sense of imagination to come up with that!

Think I'll keep it brief today, I've got a lot of work on and I'm already way behind schedule. I've got a new television. That's all I'm going to tell you, no technical details. The old one was on the way out anyway, and I never bought the new one. However, there are more questions than answers there if you ask me. For instance; who bought the new television? why did they buy it? what will become of the old one? and my favourite, when will I have time to watch the bloody thing anyway? On that note, I leave you, goodnight!

Walk In the Woods!

No hillwalking today as I'm still feeling fairly ill, although not quite as bad as yesterday. Yesterday I was really down! Anyway, just to get some fresh air, we went for a walk near Cullen, to this little tiny loch called Crannoch Loch. Here it is!

After that we had a wander around in the woods, and saw this weird looking tree. The wife thought it looked like someone hanging upside-down. Not from here, but a little further off. Very odd!

Finally, we found ourselves in an area where clay-pigeon shooting goes on. There were dug-outs and platforms from where they fired the clays out. Fortunately they weren't shooting today, because judging by the propensity of cartridge cases and shattered clays scattered around, when they do shoot, they probably shoot anything that moves!